Energoatom’s corruption trail: the competition for the head of the GTS Operator has been stopped
13 November 22:45
The competition for the position of head of the strategic state-owned enterprise Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine (GTS) has been temporarily suspended. The decision was made due to the publication of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine’s (NABU) investigation, which includes one of the finalists. This was announced by the Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Svyrydenko on her Telegram channel, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
Why the competition was stopped
“The competition for the position of the head of the strategic state enterprise GTS Operator has been officially suspended. This decision was made in connection with the publication of the materials of the NABU investigation into possible abuses at NNEGC Energoatom, in which one of the finalists of the competition appears,” Svyrydenko said.
According to her, continuation of the selection under the current conditions is incompatible with the principles of transparency, integrity and trust in the process.
“In such circumstances, the continuation of the competition procedure is incompatible with the principles of transparency, integrity and trust in the process. The competition will be resumed after additional verification of the integrity of its participants,” the Prime Minister emphasized.
What was the reason?
The reason for the suspension was the NABU’s Midas operation, which exposed a possible corruption scheme at Energoatom.
According to the investigation, certain officials of the state-owned company demanded kickbacks from contractors in the amount of 10% to 15% of the contract value.
One of the persons who came into the focus of the detectives’ attention is a participant in the competition for the position of the head of the GTS Operator.
What is known about the government’s further actions
Yulia Svyrydenko also reminded that the government is conducting a comprehensive audit of the largest state-owned enterprises, including Ukrzaliznytsia and Naftogaz.
The goal is to strengthen control over financial flows and prevent abuses in strategic sectors of the economy.
For reference
“The Ukrainian Gas Transmission System Operator is one of the key state-owned companies responsible for the transportation of natural gas through Ukraine and transit to the EU.
The position of the company’s CEO is strategic, as it affects the country’s energy security and Ukraine’s international obligations to its European partners.
